This invention relates to apparatus useful as an isometric exerciser. More particularly, it relates to a device having a pair of offset spaced handles and indicating means imprinted on the handles for orienting the apparatus at various angles with respect to the user's body.
In recent years, the importance of exercise to maintain proper health of the human body has become widely recognized. While many people recommend exercises which substantially increase the heart rate for extended periods of time, many people are unable to perform these exercises for medical reasons, and others may be unable to take time out of a busy schedule to perform such exercises. Therefore, to maintain muscle tone and relieve stress and tension, large numbers of people engage in performing isometric exercises. These exercises may be performed with little or no equipment, and can be easily performed in an office or at home without the necessity of changing cloths or visiting a gymnasium. Isometric exercises involve the stressing of muscles against a resistance, without the significant shortening of muscle fibers. Typical examples of isometric exercises involve locking of the hands in front of the body and either attempting to pull the hands apart, or pressing the palms together, thereby creating muscle tension. These actions result in the tensioning of various muscles in the wrists, arms, shoulders, chest, and back, thereby resulting in toning of these muscles.
The device of the invention provides a simple yet highly useful aid for isometric exercising. The device consists of a pair of parallel handles spaced by a "Z"-shaped spacing member such that when the device is held away from the body in normal operating position, one handle extends farther from the body than the other handle. The spacing member has a guide imprinted thereon which permits the user to orient the device relative to the body at several fixed orientations, each of which emphasizes the exercise of slightly different groups of muscles. The guide enables the user to easily follow an instruction booklet explaining the utility of the device for exercising different muscle groups.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an easily portable, lightweight, inexpensive device having no moving parts and which serves as an isometric exercising device. It is a further object of the invention to provide an isometric exerciser having a pair of handles and a spacing bar having directional orientation indicators imprinted on both sides of the spacing bar. It is a further object of the invention to provide an isometric exercising device which can be used in exercising a wide variety of muscle groups, and which correlates easily with an instruction manual which explains the use of the device for the exercise of various muscle groups. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.